The present invention relates generally to an monitor support apparatus and, more particularly, to a ratcheting articulable monitor support and presentation device which may be articulated relative to a seat having an arm rest, which device is stowable within the arm rest of the seat. It further relates to an articulable monitor support and presentation device for permitting the simultaneous use of a stowable tray table and the device.
It is known to construct a seat with a device that may be stowed within it when not in use, and which may be accessed by a user for use. Such a device may be a television screen, a computer screen, or other interactive devices. The utility of such a display is especially recognized in environments such as airplanes, buses, or terminal areas. This is because people in these environments must often wait or remain stationary for long periods of time. Such devices offer entertainment/distraction for such people.
Due to space constraints in such areas, efficient storage of the devices is necessary. Additionally, when individuals travel via an airplane or bus, such devices are provided to provide them with entertainment or to allow them to work. For instance, a television monitor may be utilized to display a movie or some other form of media entertainment. Alternatively, the display may come in the form of a computer screen readily connected to a computer thereby enabling a user to work while traveling. Such a device, because of the close proximity of the seating, must be stowable during ingress and egress so that it does not interfere with passenger movement. Moreover, when a passenger takes a seat, the device should be accessible in an ergonomically advantageous way.
Safety is also of utmost importance when such a device is being used by a passenger when a vehicle is in transit. Sudden stops or starts could cause such a device to fly out of control and injure passengers.
Although a number of articulable monitor supports are known in the prior art, such supports are unsatisfactory due to their failure fully to address and satisfy all of the concerns listed above.
One such prior art proposal is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,616 entitled "STOWABLE VIDEO DISPLAY ASSEMBLY" to Riday. Riday discloses a video display assembly having a video display connected to an airline seat via an arm. The arm is pivotable out of a cavity in the armrest from a stowed position to various other positions: (1) an intermediate position in which the monitor is viewed edgewise by the user, (2) an operating position in which the monitor faces the user, and (3) a "breakover orientation" in which a sudden force overcomes the monitor and it pivots away from the user.
The monitor in Riday is unsatisfactory ergonomically because it lacks necessary adjustability in multiple planes. Moreover, the safety mechanism disclosed by Riday for allowing the monitor safely to pivot out of the way is cumbersome to assemble and may become loose during relatively rough vehicular transit. Such loosening would present an unsafe condition, or an inoperable device.
Another attempt in the prior art is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,447 to Lain and entitled, "PERSONAL VIDEO PLAYER AND MONITOR ASSEMBLY FOR AIRLINE PASSENGER SEAT CONSOLE". Lain discloses another type of stowable video monitor. The monitor is prevented from moving rearwardly in the event of sudden motion of the aircraft by the console. A spring-biased clutch is connected between the arm and the console to provide resisting torque to movement of the arm and monitor.
Lain is also unsatisfactory ergonomically because it lacks necessary adjustability in multiple planes for allowing proper positioning before users with various sized bodies. Moreover, Lain does not disclose a monitor which is collapses rearwardly for stowing in the arm rest. Rather, the console in Lain prevents the rearward movement of the monitor as a safety measure in case of sudden movement of the aircraft. However, that safety measure may increase the chance of the device breaking free from the arm rest in the event of such a sudden movement, thereby possibly causing injury to passengers.
With the above problems and prior art proposals in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stowable articulable monitor support.
It is another object of the invention to provide an articulable monitor support adjustable by the user to multiple positions for satisfying ergonomic requirements.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an articulated monitor support which may be easily pivoted out of the way in the event of an emergency.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an articulated monitor support which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, and safe to use.
In summary, the invention achieves these and other objects in the form of a ratcheting articulable monitor support system that accommodates storage and presentation of an associated monitor, and is usable with a base and a monitor-mounting member. The system includes an arm with a first end and second end, wherein the first end is pivotally mounted to the base allowing rotational movement of the arm about a first axis and in a first plane. The arm has a range of rotational motion as a result of the pivotal mounting, and that range is characterized as having an arm-rotational-movement-restricting subrange. The system also includes a ratchet member fixedly attached to the arm intermediate the first and second ends, which ratchet member includes a body with a first subregion having arm-rotational-movement-restricting structure.
A detent member is also included adjacent the ratchet member and fixedly attached to the arm intermediate the first and second ends. The detent member includes an operative end that is movable to engage the arm-rotational-movement-restricting structure of the ratchet member, and such engagement occurs when the arm is rotated in the arm-rotational-movement-restricting subrange. There is also a monitor support system that allows four degrees of movement within the system.
An alternative embodiment is a system intended for use in conjunction with adjacently-mounted seats, wherein such seats are mounted front-to-back and wherein at least one seat includes a back-mounted tray table usable by an occupant in a seat mounted immediately therebehind. The articulable monitor support system accommodates storage and presentation of an associated monitor, and permits an occupant of a seat to simultaneously use the monitor and the back-mounted tray table mounted on the seat in front of them. The system is similar to the one described above, except that the arm includes an arcuate portion which permits the tray table to be used while the arm is in the presented position.
These and additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood after a consideration of the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment.